Negroamaro too classy

Negroamaro stamped herself as one of the best three-year-old fillies in the country with a facile victory in the Grade 3 Fillies Mile at Turffontein on 28 November.

The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained filly led from start to finish and had the race won a long way from home, beating Heaps Of Fun by 4.25 lengths. She has only raced four times for two wins and two fifth placings.

The daughter of Fort Wood, who will clearly be aiming at the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas on Saturday 27 February, contests a Progress Plate over 1200m in Race 5 at the Vaal today. She and stable companion Silver Class are by far the best handicapped runners in the field and although Negroamaro will probably find this distance a touch short, she and Silver Class should fight out the finish.

Weichong Marwing has stayed with Negroamaro and despite the distance issue, it is hard to argue against class and she still gets the nod. Silver Class is ideally distance suited and with champion apprentice Craig Zackey in the irons, cannot be ignored as she is only 0.5kg out with her stablemate.

One cannot ignore any runner out of the Sean Tarry stable at the moment and as a result Swift Sarah deserves respect. She is 5.5kg under sufferance with Negroamaro but she is distance suited. S’manga Khumalo takes the ride.

If fitness becomes an issue with the best weighted runners then the Lucky Houdalakis pair of Khaleesi and Firsttimesacharm could come into the reckoning.

Race 6 is a MR 80 Handicap over 1200m and this is one of the most difficult races on the card. Kapellmeister won last Tuesday night, flying up late to catch Viking Hero on the line. The runner-up franked the form with a victory in the Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein last Saturday so the Clinton Binda-trained runner must come under consideration. He has received a 1.5kg penalty for that win and will carry 62.5kg although that will be offset by the 4kg claim of apprentice Calvin Habib.

The concern is that Kapellmeister, a winner of 10 races, is now eight-years-old and they are not always all that reliable.

At the bottom of the weights is Louis Goosen’s charge, Bah, and with JP van der Merwe up and just 52kg on his back, the five-year-old grey gelding could provide the best value in the line-up.